Availability of the Interagency Workgroup Document, A Draft
Report on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)
[Federal Register: August 31, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 168)]
[Notices]
[Page 46225]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr31au98-57]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
[ATSDR-133]
Availability of the Interagency Workgroup Document, A Draft
Report on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)
AGENCY: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR),
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the draft document,
A Report on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), by the Interagency
Workgroup on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. The public is invited to
comment on this draft report.
DATES: Comments must be received by October 30, 1998.
ADDRESSES: The report is available by contacting ATSDR's Information
Center, 1600 Clifton Road, Mail Stop E57, Atlanta, GA 30333, 1-800-447-
1544, attention Alice Knox.
Please submit written comments relating to the report to the same
location. Because these comments may be made available upon public
request, please do not send any personal, medical, or other information
that you do not wish to make public.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: ATSDR's Information Center at the
above address.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is the
term most commonly applied to a health condition of interest to
patients, health care providers, and health and environmental agencies
alike. Symptoms range from minor discomfort to extreme disability and
isolation.
Because of the concern for the health and well-being of persons
with symptoms of MCS, several federal agencies formed a workgroup in
1995 to review scientific literature pertinent to MCS, consider
recommendations from various expert panels on MCS, and develop
technical and policy recommendations for the agencies to consider. The
departments and agencies represented on the Interagency Workgroup on
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity are: Department of Defense, Department of
Energy, Department of Health and Human Services (Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry, Centers for Disease Control (CDC),
National Center for Environmental Health, CDC, National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health, National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences), Department of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.
The Department of Health and Human Services' Environmental Health
Policy Committee (EHPC), chaired by the Assistant Secretary for Health,
has monitored the preparation of the interagency report. The EHPC is
the senior level policy committee for environmental health issues in
the Department. The committee has liaison members from other federal
departments that have environmental and public health responsibilities.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is
providing administrative support for the Interagency Workgroup's
report. Comments on the report will be provided by ATSDR to the
Interagency Workgroup for consideration.
The workgroup has developed a draft document entitled, A Report on
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Summary findings, research
recommendations and policy recommendations are provided in this report.
This document, A Report on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), and
its availability for public comment is being announced through this
Federal Register notice.
Dated: August 25, 1998.
Georgi Jones,
Director, Office of Policy and External Affairs, Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry.
[FR Doc. 98-23290 Filed 8-28-98; 8:45 am]
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